The Schwab family reached a settlement with the waterpark and involved parties totaling approximately $20 million.
On that August afternoon, Caleb Schwab was seated in the front of a six-person raft (three riders per side, though later modifications changed the design). The other two riders in his raft were two adult women, neither of whom were related to Caleb. During the descent, witnesses reported that the raft became airborne as it crested the second hill. Forensic analysis later determined that Caleb was decapitated by metal support loops that were part of the ride’s netting structure.
: At 168 feet tall , Verrückt was certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest water slide.
The incident also sparked a renewed focus on water safety and the need for greater awareness about the risks associated with swimming in areas with strong currents and ocean conditions. caleb schwab autopsy report
On that fateful Sunday, the Schwab family, including Kansas State Representative Scott Schwab and his wife, were at the park for a special event for elected officials. According to the family, just before Caleb and his 12-year-old brother Nathan climbed to the top of the slide, Caleb’s father said: "Brothers stick together," to which Caleb replied, "I know, dad". Nathan rode the slide first and waited for his younger brother at the bottom. When Caleb’s raft came into view, it was a scene of unimaginable horror. Nathan screamed to his mother, "He flew from Verrückt, he flew Verrückt".
While criminal convictions were not realized, the civil justice system responded swiftly. The Schwab family reached a confidential multi-million-dollar settlement with Schlitterbahn and the ride’s manufacturers, which was reported to be the largest consumer wrongdoing settlement in Kansas history at the time.
The official autopsy report concluded that the cause of death was neck decapitation due to blunt force trauma. The Schwab family reached a settlement with the
The death was initially investigated as an accident, though a 19-month grand jury investigation later characterized the slide as a "deadly weapon".
The Schwab family reached a settlement totaling nearly $20 million with Schlitterbahn and other involved companies, believed to be the largest of its kind for a minor's wrongful death in the region.
On August 7, 2016, a day of family fun at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas, ended in unthinkable tragedy. Ten-year-old Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Kansas State Representative Scott Schwab and his wife, Michele, was killed while riding the "Verruckt" waterslide — at the time, billed by the Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest waterslide. During the descent, witnesses reported that the raft
However, the criminal case took a dramatic turn in February 2019. Judge Robert Burns threw out all charges, citing about the propriety of the evidence presented to the grand jury. The judge noted that prosecutors had shown the grand jury a dramatized, made-for-TV video and had improperly referred to engineering standards that were not required under Kansas law at the time. As of 2025, no one has been criminally convicted for Caleb Schwab's death.
: The initial, official statement from the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department listed the cause of death as a fatal neck injury .
Neither Henry nor Schooley possessed formal engineering degrees or background in amusement ride dynamics.
The used to validate modern water slides A timeline of the civil and criminal court proceedings Share public link
